【 Baofang Spring Travel Notes - Xiamen Chapter 】 Taking advantage of the warm spring and blooming flowers, make a promise to write poetry and go far away

The second destination of Baofang Spring Festival is the beautiful coastal city of Xiamen. Led by Sheng Yongkang, Deputy General Manager in charge of finished product sorting, and Pan Xinliang, Deputy General Manager in charge of mechanical and electrical equipment, accompanied by two Chief Financial Officers, the team consists of nearly 200 people. On the morning of the 24th, departing from Shaoxing North, taking a high-speed train for six hours, we arrived at the charming "Garden of the Sea" - Xiamen.

Day1 Jimei Study Village: Chen Jiageng's Former Residence - Aoyuan

Chen Jiageng, a famous patriot, industrialist, and educator, was referred to by Mao Zedong as the "banner of overseas Chinese and the glory of the nation". To promote the development of education and talent for the country and the nation, Chen Jiageng invested heavily in establishing institutions such as Jimei Study Village, Xiamen University, and Singapore Overseas Chinese School. Faced with the global economic crisis and the difficulties faced by overseas Chinese enterprises, Chen Jiageng said, "I would rather sell the building than support Xiamen University," and supported Xiamen University alone for 16 years. Under his advocacy, overseas Chinese donated funds to promote education, which became a trend and had a profound impact.

The former residence of Chen Jiageng, located in Houweijiao, Jimei Town, was the place where Mr. Chen Jiageng once lived. Founded in 1918 during the 7th year of the Republic of China, it was destroyed by Japanese imperialism in 1938. It was repaired in 1955 and rebuilt in 1980. Chen Jiageng built dozens of magnificent high-rise buildings for Jimei and Xiamen University, while his own residence was an ancient and simple two-story building. The generosity and selflessness of patriotism in promoting education, and the simplicity of personal life, are rare in the world. The three story building on the west side of the former residence is the Chen Jiageng Life Exhibition Hall, which was built in 1983. A large number of physical pictures and documentary materials vividly depict Chen Jiageng's glorious life of "doing business in Southeast Asia, deep affection for his hometown and country", "investing in education, persevering", and "sincerely loving the country and dedicating himself to it".

Returning Hall, located to the south of Chen Jiageng's former residence, is a representative building of Minnan characteristics with white stone walls and green tiles on the roof. It was completed on the first anniversary of Chen Jiageng's death in 1962. Summoning overseas relatives not to forget their hometown and love their motherland, so that they can return with a place to live, has profound significance, and is forever commemorated.

Aoyuan, located in the southeast corner of Jimei, was originally a small island resembling a sea turtle, hence the name "Aoyuan". Mr. Jiageng spent 10 years personally designing and supervising the construction. The design of the porch is exquisite and free spirited, with a series of carvings carved on the walls of the two compartments. In the center of the garden stands the "Jimei Liberation Monument", with Chairman Mao Zedong's inscription on the front and an inscription personally written by Mr. Chen Jiageng on the back. The short walls, railings, pavilion columns and other places in Aoyuan are engraved with couplets of poems by national leaders and world celebrities praising Mr. Tan Kah kee's spiritual character, gathering the essence of Minnan stone carvings, which has the reputation of "Stone Carving Museum" in Minnan.

Day 2 Chaotian Palace - COFCO Tea Base - Gulangyu

The Minnan Chaotian Temple is located in the ancient town of Minnan. The Chaotian Temple in Beigang, Taiwan, participated in the planning guidance and is the most complete Mazu Temple jointly built by both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Devoted devoutly to promoting Mazu culture, to enable all people in the world to share the holy virtue, and to share the divine grace with all believers. Promoting the exchange of folk temples and shrines between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, maintaining cultural ties between believers on both sides, and jointly building a Mazu cultural and economic zone is an important platform for cross-strait folk exchanges.

Baofang children worship Mazu, pray for the safety of their families, and pray for the prosperity of Baofang

After worshiping Mazu, the group members came to COFCO Tea Base to experience the fragrance of tea and enjoy the "gluttonous feast" of Minnan tea culture.

Take a photo at the ferry terminal and head to the most anticipated and desired Gulangyu Island.

Gulangyu Island, formerly known as "Yuansha Island", is named after a two meter high reef with caves in it. Whenever the tide rises and the waves hit the reef, the sound sounds like a drum beating. People call it "Gulangshi", and Gulangyu Island is named after it. Due to its graceful natural scenery and profound cultural heritage, it has become a world cultural heritage site.

Day 3 Nanputuo Temple - Xiamen University

Nanputuo Temple is a famous ancient temple in Xiamen, located in front of Wulao Peak, a famous mountain on Ludao Island. It is backed by beautiful and unique peaks, facing the clear harbor, adjacent to Xiamen University, and has excellent scenery.

Founded in the late Tang Dynasty, it was called Sizhou Temple, renamed Puzhao Temple during the Song Dynasty's Zhiping period, and rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty's Kangxi period. Due to its worship of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, similar to the Guanyin Temple on Mount Putuo in Zhejiang, and located south of Mount Putuo, it is named "Nanputuo Temple" and is one of the Buddhist destinations in southern Fujian. Nanpusui Temple is mainly composed of Tianwang Hall, the Shakya ManiHall, Dabei Hall, Sutra Pavilion and other buildings. The whole temple is exquisite, magnificent and orderly.

Humanity rewards sincerity. Last year, a thousand people from Baofang went to Putuo and offered thousands of incense sticks. This year, two hundred people went to Nanputuo and lit a thousand incense sticks, reflecting Baofang's sincere intention of honest management and the corporate responsibility of Fuze employees to give back to society.

Xiamen University, founded by the famous patriotic overseas Chinese leader Mr. Chen Jiageng in 1921, was the first university in China to establish an independent campus overseas and is known as the "strength of the south". Xiamen University is known as the "most beautiful university in China". The campus is surrounded by mountains and lakes, facing the sea, backed by the Wanshi Botanical Garden, with Nanputuo Temple on one side and Baicheng Beach on the other. It faces the world cultural heritage site Gulangyu across the sea. The early buildings of the university, including the Qunxian Building Group, Jiannan Building Group, Furong Building Group, and Xiamen University Anthropology Museum, are national key cultural relics protection units and the first batch of 20th century Chinese architectural heritage.

A happy photo with a smiling face

Listen to what they have to say

In the warm spring season, we have once again welcomed the Baofang Welfare Tour, which fully reflects the care of the Chairman and General Manager, and also proves Baofang's strength and capability. This year, the development situation of the industry is severe, and Baofang is facing new difficulties and pressures. We must realize that there has never been a savior, and to create peace and happiness, everything depends on ourselves. Only when the country is strong and prosperous can the people enjoy a peaceful and prosperous era. Only when the textile industry is strong and prosperous can we live and work in peace, increase income, and enjoy happiness. Baofang is our home, we are the masters of Baofang. Loving the factory like loving the home is not just a slogan. We have the responsibility and obligation to do our own job well: put morality first, be consistent in our actions, regard the factory as our home, be dedicated to our work, study hard, be attentive, use our brains, constantly innovate, compare with goals, and exceed expectations. We should use our hearts and emotions, and actual achievements to repay the kindness of the chairman and Baofang.

——Dong Xiaogan dares

Visiting the COFCO tea base and listening to the development history of COFCO Group, it reminds me that Baofang also has the same development experience. COFCO has opened up the modern Silk Road in Xiamen, and Baofang has also taken advantage of the the Belt and Road to expand the "Silk Road" to West Africa and East Africa, as well as the broader European and American markets. It is the Chairman's foresight and lofty goals, as well as his unwavering investment in Baofang Home, that have given all Baofang people the unity and courage to overcome one difficulty after another. Only then can Baofang's children enjoy the dividends of enterprise development and unique happiness.

——Chen Zhongdong

Visiting the former residence of Chen Jiageng and learning about Mr. Chen's great patriotic spirit and selfless dedication, we cannot help but think of the great love and kindness that the chairman has shown for over a decade, leading more than a thousand people at Baofang to help each Baofang family move from poverty to prosperity. I am extremely grateful for the Chairman's care and love, which has allowed us young people in the mountains to see the ocean of our dreams, enjoy the sea breeze, and taste the seafood! We went to Nanputuo Temple with gratitude and lit candles to pray for the health of the chairman, to bless the prosperity of Baofang business, and to bless the safety of our brothers and sisters.

——Lei Jianming

The trip to Xiamen has come to a successful end, and the brotherhood, collaboration, and cohesion of the Baofang team have been greatly enhanced. This spirit of working together and uniting will release greater energy in future work. Let us work hard under the leadership of the chairman, focusing on the goals of high quality, high yield, low energy consumption, and clean beauty, to elevate the brand, quality, and output of Baofang to a higher level. We believe that Baofang will create more miracles in the future.

——Zhang Jianwei

This trip, everyone has achieved civilized qualities, a strong sense of time, and everyone is punctual without falling behind, fully reflecting the team spirit. This spirit is cultivated in our daily work, and it is precisely because the company has good systems and advanced leadership concepts that Baofang has created an excellent team. Throughout this trip, there was constant laughter and joy, and everyone had a serious and enjoyable time. The food was diverse and unique, and the accommodation was clean and comfortable, all thanks to the company's careful arrangements. Compared to our peers, our welfare benefits have always been at the forefront of the industry, and our brand, quality, and output should also keep up like company benefits. The kick-off meeting has pointed us in the right direction. Our future work must revolve around the company's development policy, clarify goals, believe in the power of down-to-earth work, and believe in the power of unity and progress. Baofang's tomorrow will be even better!

——Chen Tao

At Chen Jiageng's former residence, Jimei Study Village, and Xiamen University, we felt a strong sense of patriotism and profound cultural heritage; At the Chaotian Temple in southern Fujian, we experienced the local characteristic Mazu culture; At the long-awaited Gulangyu Island, we enjoyed the various styles of buildings in the "International Architecture Garden", felt the music atmosphere of the "Piano Capital", walked through lush and towering trees, saw colorful flowers, stood by the seaside blowing the sea breeze, and truly felt the beautiful mood of facing the sea and blooming in spring.

——Zhu Lihong

I feel honored and proud to have visited the beautiful scenery of Xiamen, the coastal capital, and the local culture of southern Fujian. Watching the villagers of Baofang smile and immerse themselves in this city that witnesses historical and cultural changes, I am especially grateful to our good village chief for caring for every villager and caring for everyone's family, giving every villager the opportunity to take a walk and see. This is the only factory in the Binhai Industrial Zone that allows every employee to travel every year. At Nanputuo Temple, we collectively pray for the village chief, wishing him good health and all things going smoothly; Bless Baofang's brothers and sisters for their peace and success in work; May our Baofang Village prosper and thrive! Brothers and sisters, work hard for the cause of Baofang Village!

——Zhao Yong

After enjoying the tourism benefits, we will work with a more energetic state and a serious and responsible attitude in the future, focusing on the "cleanliness and efficiency" proposed by the chairman. We will lead everyone to do a good job in equipment maintenance, upkeep, and cleaning, so that the equipment can operate more stably, consume less energy, produce high-quality and efficient products, and not disappoint the chairman's expectations of us.

——Li Xiaoming